Flying Sparks 2010-08-13: The Ramadan Orchestra

After Ascension it’s Ramadan now. Because of this, there is the The Nights of the Ramadan festival in Berlin. The first event of this festival was a concert of the first big band of the Arabic world. The Syrian Big Band played some classic Big Band tunes more or less in an Arabic style, but the band also covered some well-known Pop or Rock tunes, for instance by Led Zeppelin. Being a bit too sedate at first, they became quite impressive afterwards, especially after the break because of the sunset, and after the rain shower. The darling of the public was the beatboxing bassist (I’m the bassist only.), who was bound to an encore. I liked very much the performance of the female singer.

Because of this impression, I was bound to select some Big Band sounds from my archive in turn. I do not have anything from The Syrian Big Band, but the music from the films Murder on the Orient Express, Lawrence of Arabia and Carry On Spying as well as the music by Tommy Dorsey & His Original Orchestra is also quite cool, isn’t it?

While The Syrian Big Band played a Led Zeppelin song, Hector Zazou, Barbara Eramo & Stefano Saletti have published a new album with lots of covers of famous Pop songs in an Arabic style. The album comprises many 1970′s Disco classics like Donna Summer‘s I Feel Love, Y.M.C.A. by The Village People, Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever by the Bee Gees, Anita Ward‘s Ring My Bell as well as Gloria Gaynor‘s I Will Survive. I like this album.

Furthermore, I selected some Arabic Electronica between Techno & House (by The Kasbah Rockers & Bill Laswell, Oryx, Roger Abboud) and Dubstep (L-Wiz). In between some radio sounds from the Palestine, some curious by The Forgotten Fish Memory Orchestra, some reflective by The Forty Thieves Orkestar from London, traditionals from the Iraq, a classic by Natacha Atlas, Breakbeats from Prague by Le Pneumatique who performed a quite cool and phat concert on the “Karneval der Kulturen” (carnival of the cultures) in Berlin on Whitsun 2010, also some Asian and Arabian Breakbeats or Dub sounds from London by Fusing Naked Beats, Jah Wobble and Temple of Sound. The Punk classic Rock The Casbah by The Clash is interpreted by Rachid Taha.

Happy Fasting!

Links

• The Nights of Ramadan 2010 in Berlin

In the following, there is the link for the listening pleasure @ Mixcloud as well as the playlist.

Flying Sparks

Here’s the track listing:

1. Hollywood Studio Orchestra: Murder On The Orient Express
   60 Famous Film & T.V. Themes (MCR)
2. Tommy Dorsey & His Original Orchestra: Song Of India
   Tommy Dorsey & His Original Orchestra LP (Musidisc)
3. Dilys Laye: The Magic Of Love
   20 Years Of The Carry On Films 1958-1978 (Silva Screen 2004)
4. Dilys Laye: Too Late
   20 Years Of The Carry On Films 1958-1978 (Silva Screen 2004)
5. Eric Rogers: Carry On Spying (Arabic Theme)
   20 Years Of The Carry On Films 1958-1978 (Silva Screen 2004)
6. Lawrence D’Arabia: Voyager In The Night (Misty Jamal Mix)
   RasaMello II (Compilation) (Rasa Music 2003)
7. Kasbah Rockers with Bill Laswell: Kasbah Rockers (Vocal Mix)
   Kasbah Rockers (Barraka 2008)
8. Oryx: Hebina
   Oryx (EMI Music Arabia 2002)
9. Roger Abboud feat. Charlie Abboud: Sawwah
   Beirut Underground (Caravan 2007)
10. Radio Palestine: Beirut Cocktail / Khartoum Entrée
    Radio Palestine – Sounds of the Eastern Mediterranean (Sublime Frequencies)
11. Forgotten Fish Memory Orchestra: Kasbah Tadla (Mai Que – M. Miller)
    FFMO Toolbox Promo (Toolbox)
12. Forty Thieves Orkestar: Beirut Express
    Forgotten Tales (Crafty 2006)
13. Rida Al Abdallah: Baghdad
    Mesopotamix – From Babylon To Baghdad (Remakes And Remixes Of Iraqi Classics) (EMI Music Arabia 2003)
14. Hector Zazou, Barbara Eramo & Stefano Saletti: I Feel Love
    Oriental Night Fever (Naive 2010)
15. Natacha Atlas: Yalla Chant
    Diaspora (Nation 1995)
16. Le Pneumatique: BJ In Marakesh
    Beat Safari (Master Music 2007)
17. Fusing Naked Beats: Alcazar
    Outer Perspective (Just Play 2006)
18. Rachid Taha: Rock El Casbah
    Rock The Kasbah – Songs Of Freedom From The Streets Of The East (Compilation) (EMI Music Middle East 2004)
19. L-Wiz: Habibi
    Girlfriend 12inch (Dub Police 2006)
20. Jah Wobble & Temple Of Sound: Cleopatra King Size
    Shout At The Devil (30 Hertz 2002)
21. Maurice Jarre: Lawrence Of Arabia (Main Title)
    Lawrence Of Arabia (OST) (Legacy 1969 / Castle Music 1999)

Addendum

Le Pneumatique @ Carnival of Cultures Berlin, May 23, 2010